


Intoxicate Me Now

by chunkySoup



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: AFAB reader - Freeform, Deadpool Isn't A Good Friend, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Missions Gone Wrong, Multi, New Avengers Facility, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader Has Unspeakable Baggage, Reader-Insert, She/her pronouns for reader, Spy Reader, i guess, i will add characters and relationships as the story progresses!!, mercenary reader - Freeform, reader is a badass, reverse-harem - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chunkySoup/pseuds/chunkySoup
Summary: “I’m going to kill Wade before I die.” [various!avengers x mercenary!reader x various!superheroes] Your name is Little Miss Toxin, otherwise known as the best paid undetectable infiltrator in Hell’s Kitchen. One day, you’re forced to take a risky mission: break into the New Avengers Facility. A large bite to chew, but you got fangs to last. But after getting compromised and having your identity, job, and new feelings on the line, you start to question what was really toxic in your life.
Relationships: Avengers Team/Reader, Bruce Banner/Reader, Clint Barton/Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader, Tony Stark/Reader, Wanda Maximoff/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	1. The Job

You had a penchant for being kind on many accounts. You were far from a goody-two-shoes saint, but when a friend would ask for a favor, the generosity in your heart would never say no. You were an angel, you told yourself, a lifesaver- a martyr too, perhaps. No matter what you were busy with in the first place, your heart of gold would always sympathize with the helpless. Any friend in need would be needless no more when you were around.

Especially if their life and _your job_ were on the line.

The mercenary line of work you specialized in wasn't honest, but that didn't mean you weren't a nice person, especially when it came to close friends.

Yet this particular “friend” just knew how to test the limits of your heavenly generosity.

The red-clad hireling who had begged on his knees for your assistance was more of a blood-sucking leech than anything. You were just too kind- the effects of being an angel, tragic but you were used to it- to give him such a title.

Yes, it was his fault that he got mixed up with his other jobs. Yes, it was his fault that he forgot about this one contract. Yes, it was his fault that he only had twenty-four hours to complete the task before an angry contractor with dangerously violent tendencies would show up on his doorstep.

But, to his redemption and your inconvenience, he had you, his “super bestest friend in the business and savior of his reputation.”

You had no choice anyways, since _apparently_ he wrote your name on the contract as well, in case if he were to be “unfortunately incapacitated before full completion of contract,” as said on paper. The contractor really wanted to be sure the job would get done. 

There was no use in arguing with the man who involuntarily signed you up for a job you never knew about _until it was nearly expired,_ as now not only was his job on the line, but yours as well.

So you had to take the contract.

You were _so_ grateful to receive such an amazing contract. After two weeks of cramping your ass on cold roof-tops to spy on a rich business woman and her mistress just to take gross, revenge pedo-shots for her husband- previous contractor, gave good money- you were bursting with joy to take a “simple, little contract to close off the month.”

Thankfully, Wade was able to understand your bitterness without having to waste a poison dart.

 _'Simple little contract_ my ass _, Wilson. You're lucky I don’t have any other calls this week.’_

Breaking into the New Avengers Facility couldn't be the worst job out on the block, you had reasoned with yourself. There were surely some nastier ones out there. (Though, as you racked your brain, you couldn't think of any.) 

It was _just_ the Avengers, it wasn't like they were one of the most powerful superhero groups in the United States. 

It was _just_ a break-and-take, it wasn’t like the Facility was located in a secluded part of Upstate New York where you had never been to, most likely heavily guarded and filled to the brim with security measures. 

_‘And most importantly,’_ you thought to yourself, _‘it’s_ just _a quicky spy assignment, it’s not like I’m going to stay there longer than a night. Go in, record, go out. Minimal combat with guards if I play my cards right. Nothing new.’_

But even though you mentally repeated and reasoned with your inner voices, you still found yourself strapping on your lethal agents. More than you would usually take on a recon mission.

_'It's just because it's the Avengers. Their security measures in the new location would be green but strong. It's never bad to be too prepared. I’m not nervous. Just prepared. One hundred percent just prepared.’_

After cross-checking all of your gadgets were in place, you opened the file that Wade gave you for the umpteenth time. At first thought you ridiculed him for not burning the instructions when he first received them- as you usually did in the business- but after a while you realized that he had a reason. He _knew_ that he wouldn't be able to complete the contract on time. Thus, the dumbass kept the mission information for the highly plausible situation where he would have to hand off the contract to you.

You needed better friends.

Your eyes skimmed the synopsis and mission goals lightly. You knew all of this by heart, but it didn't hurt to double-check. Contractor was concerned about Stark- who wouldn't be after the Ultron shebang- and wanted a mole to go in the Facility to get visual evidence of his current works. Claims that it was too much of their own resources to hire for a sleeper agent, so they resorted to the riskier approach of getting the job done in one night. The contractor knew that this was a death-sentence of a job, so along with the recorder, they supplied an EMP device strong enough to fuzz the entire security system in the possibility of getting compromised. It would supply you a window for entry or escape, but only once. 

_‘Why the fuck would Wilson take a stealth mission if mans doesn't know how to whisper properly?’_ You thought as you did the honors of burning the mission file with a lighter. You guessed that mans took the mission because of the bounty; it was a _lot_ of fucking money, the most you had ever seen for a contract in the years you had been a mercenary. But it was a lot of money for a dangerous mission. The kind of dangerous that would do more than just kill you if you made the wrong move.

After disposing of the file, you did a once over in the mirror by the door, then a double take because you were that sexy. 

No- _intoxicating._

You laughed too much at that.

The New Avengers Facility was nothing to sneeze at. The complex was tucked away from the rest of bustling New York, probably for the best now that the team was getting notoriously full. The outside perimeter was fairly empty, due to the chilly forest at midnight. The occasional security guard made their rounds, as you counted for the past seven hours.

No one came up to your spot at the tree line, thankfully. Once you hit the seventh hour mark you prepared yourself for entry.

You decided to go the most unconventional way to break into the complex. They would probably prepare for something larger, something more than a little rouge going in through the cracks. You broke away from the trees and started slinking through the open field, watching for any traps by your feet.

As you got onto the asphalt of the lot, you noticed a group of smartish looking folks- you deducted they were scientists who lived on the property, explaining why they were arriving at the Facility at a late hour- who were talking amongst each other as they got out of their respective vehicles. You crept close to one of the cars, and from overhearing their conversation, you found that they were a young group of people just coming back from bar-hopping in the city.

The group was large enough to not raise suspicion about a newcomer. You recorded some photos of the scientists who seemed your size, uploaded them onto your cloaking device's disguise software, and after a few heartbeats you developed a nondescript outfit to blend in with the crowd. As you stood up to join the others in the parking lot, you slipped a small vial from the inside of your forearm and dabbed some of the liquid on your wrists and neck.

One lanky looking man was just getting out of the driver’s side of his car with some difficulty. You were quick to hold the door open so that he could step out fully.

“Thanks! Uh-”

You flashed a smile and spoke up as he stuttered. “No problem, bro. As your trusted best friend and co-captain of the night, it’s my duty to look out for your drunk ass.” 

The man blinked hard before responding with a deep sigh and shake of his head. 

“Wh-what would I do without you, pal?” He lightly chuckled and locked the car once you closed it.

“Oh, I doubt you would be able to survive.” You grabbed the forearm of the lanky man and dragged him along, eventually linking arms.

There had to be roughly twenty employees combining into a chattering mess. You slipped into the thick of the crowd to hide yourself from others and the security cameras. The lanky guy you stole was swaying as you pulled him along, and you thanked whoever was listening that this man was able to drive back to the Facility in one piece.

“-And it wasn’t even good! That’s why I’m still pissed about getting ripped off. No fuck should sell a hot dog for that much if it’s going to taste like shit!” One of the employees finished off her story, eliciting a few drunk cackles.

“It was your fault for buying a hot dog at 11:30 _at night_ , Marlee.”

“Don't try to talk shit to me, Woods, at least I was the one who remembered to bring their keycard.”

Some more playful bantering ran around the group, while another close to you pipped up, “Can we hurry up? It’s cold as hell and some of us still have hella paperwork to finish.” Marlee walked towards the worker’s entrance door, chattering about the cold under her breath as she typed in some passcode.

You couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. This was much easier than you thought. Maybe this was an easy money contract.

“Alright, are you guys ready? You have like, five seconds until the doors close.”

You raised an eyebrow at this, but the other employees seemed to know what she was implying.

“Oh god- someone who’s less drunk grab Anders so he doesn’t get stuck outside _again_.” Marlee dragged a wobbly looking fellow from the back and shoved him towards the front.

“Going in for the retina scan.” And with that, Marlee leaned towards the pad, and with a beep, the doors to the New Avengers Facility opened, and the lanky man who was still holding onto your arm dragged you forward.


	2. The Laboratory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you wished you had more time with the rubber ducks.

After the exciting little moment of running through the doors before they closed- somehow everyone got through- the employees started to disperse to their quarters. Your lanky companion was still holding onto your arm, which was now getting annoying.

“You smell really good,” the man mumbled to you idly. His head dipped to your shoulder. You tensed. Okay, maybe it was time to head off too. You pressed your lips together in a tight smile before forcing your arm out of his grasp.

“I think it’s time for you to get to bed, big guy.” You patted the stranger’s shoulder and slowly backed up, only to bump into a rushing employee.

“Oh- wha- hey! Uh, sorry there, do you think you can get me through the labs? I think I forgot my phone at my desk,” you quickly exclaimed to Marlee, grabbing her shoulders with both hands. 

Said employee stared back before responding, “Yeah! But make it quick.” You smiled in thanks and followed her closely in haste.

After a few hallways and a quiet elevator ride later, you were waiting for Marlee to enter the passcode for the labs.

“And there you go! You should be fine now. You will have to manually lock the doors, though.” Marlee said after entering her retina scan. You took her hands in yours gratefully.

“Thank you, Marlee! You should really get back to your room as soon as possible and pretend that this was all a dream- Sleep well!” Marlee nodded, and without another word started sprinting towards the elevator doors like her life depended on it.

_‘Well, when I said as soon as possible, I wasn’t expecting that.’_

You yeeted through the automatic doors of the laboratory. You knew about this place- other mercenaries who have come in before you had taken blurry pictures of the employee’s desks and sold them on the black market. But with the money your contractor was giving, you knew that they wanted more than that.

You checked the battery life of your cloaking device. Since you had used different functions of the camouflage systems for a long period of time, you had less than an hour left before the battery ran out. That should give you enough time to get five minutes of footage inside the laboratories before creating your escape plan- which you didn’t know how you were going to execute but you knew it was going to happen because you were a badass.

The scientists’ generic labs were nothing too special when they were not being used. In the middle of the room was a large table, probably where they projected holograms for the entire team. Around the indented area where the table was, there were several stations of computers and other long tables with technology you couldn’t imagine knowing how to use. Some desks were messier than others, and some held personality- like the one with several debugging rubber ducks or the one that had many water bottles overflowing the trash can.

On the far side of the room, across from the entrance, the walls were made of glass, and the doors looked more sophisticated than the ones you have gone through.

_‘Maybe that lead to the more private labs, like where the big guys messed around? Breaking in would be dumb though, can't imagine what kind of security measures they have set there.’_

You took the recording device from your bag and started documenting the area, going up to some desks and snooping through files, passing by tables of contraptions that looked suspiciously dangerous, and even by the programmer's rubber duck collection, because that was something that _had_ to be recorded.

As you got closer to the glass doors, your curiosity peaked when the faint sound of voices came through the glass. You instantly pocketed the recording device and activated your cloaking device.

With trained footsteps, you inched yourself close to the glass, and by leaning near the edge you could identify two marbled figures walking down the hallway.

To the laboratory

That you were in.

With quick backpedaling steps you searched for an easy hiding spot. The cloaking device was reflective in nature, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you immediately, but it didn’t hide your mass out of thin air. The best way for you to be out of sight was to blend in with your surroundings, specifically something that would compliment your figure.

Looking around the room, nothing seemed to be in the shape of a badass. All you saw were desks and oblongish devices. The voices were getting louder, almost enough for you to distinguish words. This wasn’t good.

You cursed in your head before dashing to the edge of the room, where a large metal shelf of files were tucked into an indent of the wall. There was a tight space where you could squeeze between the side of the shelf and the slither of the wall. Better than nothing.

“-you’re wrong, you don’t know what you’re saying-”

“Maybe if you could listen to me for a second before- before _interrupting_ -”

“We both know who’s really in the right here, so why don’t we just drop it and let me handle the situation-”

The glass doors slid open, and you frantically set your cloaking device to camouflage mode. You made an effort to silently take a few slow breaths.

There were two different voices in the room, nonstop arguing. You weren’t sure who it was exactly, but they sounded important. They haven’t come into your view yet, so you were left to playing Guess Who, Mission Compromised Edition.

“Tony, listen to me, please, just for one moment- do _not_ , open your stupid mouth, you hear me?

“... My mouth isn’t stupid.”

“Well it says some stupid things most of the time, okay? And this is one of those moments. You _cannot_ expect that the public to be okay with you launching something as big as this again, do you remember what happened before-”

“Yes I remember quite well-”

“-and it was bad! We were in the bad light for a while, and after this long period of peace we can’t compromise that again. Not for the world.”

The two figures finally stepped to the middle of the room to the indented part of the floor. With a stretch of your neck, you could see the back of a familiar billionaire and impeccable side profile of a celebrated scientist. You hoped on Wade’s uglyass face that the recorder was able to pick up the audio from where you were hiding.

Tony Stark put his hands up. “You know what? I hear you, Brucie, I really do-”

“-please don’t call me that-”

“-but just wait until you see the progress I have been making- the progress that the folks in this wonderful lab have been making! FRIDAY, please bring up the project diagnostics.” The two now had their backs to you as they faced the table in the middle.

_‘Oh shit-’_

“Yes, sir. I also have to say, sir, that there has been an intruder alert.”

There was a pause between the two. The tension in the room grew incredibly thick. You urged your heart to stop racing in adrenaline. 

Tony rolled his shoulders. He muttered something to himself, something along the lines of, “Of course there is one.” Dr. Banner broke out of his stupor.

“Maybe it’s those interns again bringing in their friends for the night-”

“-hey hey _hey_ don’t diss on my interns, they’re good kids, also I’ve talked to them before about this-” Tony adjusted his stance as he started to fiddle with an interface on the table, “FRIDAY, why haven’t you said anything about this earlier?”

“You told me to not interrupt you and Dr. Banner for five minutes, sir.”

“ _Of course I did_ \- FRIDAY, please run a security check through the perimeter, stat.”

“On it, sir.”


	3. Mission Accomplished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you completed the mission.

You were prepared for these types of situations, being the best paid undetectable infiltrator in Hell’s Kitchen and all. Your thumb was itching to press the big red button on the EMP device, and once FRIDAY- weird name for an AI- said she was about to do a perimeter check, you wasted no time in pressing the comically big red button.

Immediately, the lights went out, leaving the entire room eerily dark. All previous screens and holograms that were being projected shut off. The entire building got quieter. 

Along with that, your cloaking device completely shut down, revealing yourself to the two Avengers in the room.

But of course, you were prepared for these kinds of situations, being the best paid undetectable infiltrator in Hell’s Kitchen and all.

Your left arm was already outstretched when your camouflage malfunctioned, and before either Avenger could look up, you had flicked your wrist and shot a dart right into Stark’s neck. You shot two more into Dr. Banner’s before he could react, not wanting an encounter with the big green guy. Both of their bodies fell to the floor roughly at the same time.

Great, so now you had the bodies of two Avengers in the room, the lights were out, and you couldn't see shit, what do you do?

Without the means to find a better hiding spot, you wiggled out of your tight slot. The tranquilizers should keep the two down long enough for you to disappear, and that EMP burst should top you off if you ever got out of the building alive.

You didn’t have many options. For one, going back from whence you came wasn’t going to happen, since that route was long and full of possibilities of meeting security. Going through the glass doors where the two paralyzed Avengers came from didn’t seem too hot, as more might come from there. Also, there was a third guy in the room who just zoomed on by and was going to body you

“So you’re the little infiltrator?”

The impact of the floor hurt like hell, and it knocked the wind out of you. Now you were going to have a fight in the dark with a force you couldn't pinpoint. Another reason to take it all out on Wade.

If you could even kill him before dying.

You scrambled onto your feet into a defensive crouch, and before you could get a hold of your senses, the force knocked you down again, this time on your stomach. A sharp pain erupted in your back from where you got hit.

You rolled onto your side and got into a fetal position, quickly slipping a vial out of your left sleeve- not bothering to check if it was the right one, because honestly, anything would do in this situation- and sipped the entire thing. You slipped the vial back into place and prepared for the worst

The liquid left your tongue and throat dry. It was itching, you yelled in your head, it was scratching your entire throat as it went down to the stomach. Your hands clawing to your neck didn't help, but you tried to tell yourself otherwise. Anything to convince your head that you were okay. 

All moistness you had inside your body left the minute the liquid traveled over it, which was a sensation you never knew to exist. Immediately a headache blossomed on your brow line, and crushing your eyes closed made it worse. 

Your eyes were drying out. You were going to dry out and turn into a Little Miss Toxin raisin. The skin on your face and chest was getting scratchy by the second, you could _feel_ your skin flaking off by the second-

And like that, it was all gone. 

You were being dramatic for five seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

The room also got brighter. It was like someone turned on the lights and dimmed them low enough to see the room, but not the color. Your feet felt light, so light you didn't realize you were standing on them. You could almost compare it to the weightlessness of swimming, only there was no viscosity holding you back.

You turned your body and swung, your right fist hooked to the left. Your fist cut through the air smoothly as you made your target. Whatever you hit was firm, and the speed it was coming at added more force back.

A grunt sounded out, the assailant doubled over, and in a flash you linked your fingers and hands together to come down on their head. You stepped back in case if they got out of their stupor and brought a boot up to kick them under the chin, hard.

With a twist of your body and the opposite foot, you brought another hard kick to the cheek, and the assailant toppled to the side. You turned your body and outstretched your left arm to shoot another dart, but another unknown force cramped your arm down, and you groaned under the heaviness, trying to fight it.

“ _Get away from my brother._ ” A voice hissed out, and with turning your head you saw narrowed red eyes that glowed and pale hands holding an equally dangerous aura by the glass doors. If you weren't battling with the magical force for control of your left arm, you would have been entranced.

In a swift motion you lifted your right foot and stomped the heel as hard as you could. Your captor used another hand to stop you, but it was too late. A murky ink-like smoke erupted from your heel, and quickly gathered around your form. The captor didn’t give up the hold on your arm and leg, but being within the obscuring smoke allowed your right arm to give your teeth access to the plastic baggy sown into the interior of your turtleneck.

_‘Better now than never. Hopefully doesn't kill me on the spot or else this would get awkward.’_

You licked the pills out of the plastic baggy and swallowed them to the best of your ability. They went down hard, and the lack of saliva made it more uncomfortable.

It was like lightning, first swirling in your brow then electrifying your entire body. The power you felt was immense and hot, so much you started shivering uncontrollably.

You saw _everything_.

Your world was brighter; the lights were now fully on. You could hear your heartbeat, it was that of a rabbit’s. You could hear the soft breaths of three you knocked down and how it reflected off the floor in an echo only you knew of. There were floating particles in the air- _dust_ , you assumed. And the color that surrounded you, there was too much of it. So much it sickened you to your stomach.

The magical hold on your body was no more, now too weak for your heightened senses to register. It was like you had gone numb, and you panicked at first that your dumb decision had rendered you paralyzed on the spot. But the growing nausea that began to ebb and flow against your head, and the sight of your chest expanding with oxygen told you otherwise.

Your captor let go of your body parts, only to get rid of your curtain with wisps of red energy. Their mistake. 

_‘I need to neutralize this person before more come in and rain on my parade.’_

Before you could properly estimate your next plan of attack, your body shot out of the dark like a bullet, and with your right arm you caught the neck of your captor and threw them against the wall behind. With the right angle, the force caused them to fly up, and with a hard _THUMP_ they fell to the ground. A dart to the neck assured you that they wouldn't get back up.

You looked down to the hand that shot the dart, then back at the crumpled body.

That was freaky.

You didn’t think about those actions, you just _did_ them. It felt like something in your subconscious had taken control of your actions. You were no longer in control of your body, and that **excited** you.

_‘This is so bad. This is so bad. This is so bad.’_

‘ _But so_ _good_ _._ ’

A sixth sense told you that your speedy assailant- the one who was apparently the brother of your most recent victim- was shaking it off, so you ran towards your original entrance and threw out your arm along the way out. Your final dart kept him down.

It almost felt surreal. With the mix of the adrenal tonic and the “If-All-Else-Fails” pills, you had enough power to take down not one, but _four_ Avengers. With your enhanced senses you would surely remember the way Marlee took you, then it would be a long stretch of running back to your motorcycle.

You were practically home free.

The hallway leading from the laboratory was a long one, and at the end was a turn to the right. You came across the corner when an arrow whizzed by and lodged itself into your left shoulder. 

You threw your back against the wall before the corner. There was no pain, but there was definitely the sound of projectile going through flesh, causing you to panic. With what you hoped was a pissed off expression, you peeked your head around, only to avoid another arrow grazing your forehead. If it weren’t for your drugs, your skull would have certainly been shish kabobed by now.

‘ _If I run fast enough then I could avoid it_.’

You knew that in your right mind, that was stupid logic, but your feet followed the subconcious orders. Down the hallway the archer’s arms peeked over from a corner and fired three additional arrows before retaining cover in a blur of black. The armor under your clothing took the brunt of two impacts, but the third arrow curved unexpectedly and embedded itself into the bicep of your right arm with a sickening, sharp squish.

Before you could make it to the end of the hallway, the archer managed another shot out. This one clamped onto your forehead with harsh legs. You didn’t know what the purpose of the arrow was, since it did not immediately kill you, but the recoil snapped your neck back and caused you to stumble. You tripped over your feet and fell to your knees.

You gave a dry, ragged pant. Some exhaustion was wrapping around your muscles, _but you couldn't stop now_. You _needed_ the money. _You wanted the money. and you were going to get money once you delivered the camera to the contractor,_ _even if you had to go through hell._

_‘Wait, what?’_

You ripped the snagged arrow off your head, the smell of burnt flesh now coming to your senses. You’ll be feeling that later too, whatever the arrow did. The archer was peeking around their safety corner, and when they met eyes with you, you drank in their shock.

_‘Yeah, I’m still alive. I’m surprised too.’_

Before the archer could notch another arrow, you kicked yourself to a wall in a dash, your hands smoothly refilling your dart gun in the process. 

You squatted, about to stand up, when your body shuddered unnaturally and seized itself into an uncomfortable ball. Your voice got caught in your throat. It became hard to breathe from the position.

You struggled against your muscles, trying to untangle yourself, and when your head was finally released from your relaxed arms you looked up to see a large, shiney disk wedged into the wall.

And all was quiet.

With a slow take to the opposite end of the hallway, there was Captain America, frozen in the form of throwing his shield. Gathering information from the four previous Avengers you took down, you deduced that you had interrupted a quiet evening for the team, as the Captain was outfitted in comfortable civilian clothes. The jeans made his legs look good. Not bad for hitting a century.

You waited for something to happen. Nothing after a few seconds. The buzzing in your body had stopped. Your vision and ears and everything calmed the fuck down. You swallowed. Everything was quiet.

 _‘Sooo I might either be dead or really high.’_ You thought to yourself.

You got up on your feet, avoiding the shield that nearly knocked you out. You tried nudging it out of the wall. It had the potential to move, and with more force it was yanked free. 

You held the shield in your left arm. It could cover your entire torso if you curled behind it. Probably your legs as well if you squeezed into a crouch.

Grabbing your new trophy and looking down the hallway both ways- Captain America hadn’t moved, and you weren’t going to stay and find out if he could- you continued towards your escape path in a hearty walk.

Surprisingly the elevator worked, and you went inside, shield still in possession. Within ten minutes, you were strolling out of the New Avengers Facility as if you finished grocery shopping. On the way you had knocked over several potted plants to see if you were crazy. They all fell down, but no soil spilled onto the ground, as if it was frozen solid inside the pot.

 _'I didn't see anyone else, isn't that strange? Maybe my mind didn't have enough juice to conjure it up.’_ You thought as you walked across the employee's parking lot. Out of curiosity you ran towards the car of the lanky man you first met. With a jump, you were on top of the hood. A few more two-footed hops and the car started blaring its emergency horn.

_‘Shit shit shit!’_

Frightened by the break in the comfortable silence, you sprinted to the tree line, not looking back until you were deep into the forest. You took all the time in the world to catch your breath before making your way to your motorcycle.

With a button the motorcycle came to life, and you clipped your helmet on. With Captain America’s shield strapped on your back, you drove back to civilization.

Mission Accomplished.


	4. M̤̒iș̰͂̚ͅs̡̹͔̯͋̈́͋͑i͉̎ò͖̲̼͂͊n͈͈͚̩͔̆͑̏͌̄ Ḁ̳̦͛͒͡c̺̦̜̲̮̒͐́͒̚c̝̀̏̍͜͜o̢̜͕͍͗̅̔͘mp̢̥̱̾̄̚l̛͎̙͕͒̍i̢̟̭͘͠sh̢̨̛̜̖̋ê̮d̟̬͇̮͆̄̚̚

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I̜̘̒͗n w̨̤̯̕͞ẖ̼̭͒̅͌i̛͉̻̫͚̹̊͐̅͞ĉ̠̬̋ḧ̠̟̓̓͆͟͢ y̭͒o̖̬̳̿̌̚ŭ̲̙͛͜͞ c̡̠̪̄͘ö͕̥̞́̈́͘m͓̅p̝͈̙͉̈́̎͐̕ḻ̪͓͙͌̓͐͡͞ͅet̥̓ẻ̗d̢̲̱̈́̆ t̢͔̣͕̋̍̿̚hȩ̧͉̬̼̾͋̐̓͐ m̡̈̂͟ǐ̧̠͐s̫̾s͋͟i̡̧͚͗͋͆o͇͒n̗̼̾̓̊͜.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw // mild unmarked gore in the middle of the chapter

_You scoffed at the command Stark gave to his computer. You were prepared for these types of situations, being the best paid undetectable infiltrator in Hell’s Kitchen and all. You wasted no time in pressing the button on the EMP device. Time to get this show on the road._

_The lights went out, the entire building got quiet, and the two men in the middle of the room were in your trap. Perfect._

_Your left arm was itching to shoot the darts. Before either Avenger could react to the building going dark, you had flicked your wrist and shot a dart right into Stark’s vulnerable neck, then two more into Dr. Banner’s. Both of their bodies fell to the floor, and you stepped out of your hiding spot as the two bodies unnaturally jerked and writhed in agony from the poison._

_You clicked a tongue. ‘That was anticlimactic.’_

_You wanted more of a fight. Your hands were itching to get physical, to inject your sweet creation into another body and let it react. Hopefully, the EMP burst should give more attention to your location._

_“So you’re the little fucker?”_

_You knew that he was coming. Yet you still let him play his game and knock you down to the floor.You jumped onto your feet and dodged to the side before the force could knock you down again. You slipped a small vial from your left sleeve, hands calm but eager. You quickly downed the contents and threw the vial to the side._

_The liquid left you energized, as if you had downed an entire vat of espresso. The sensation of the liquid going down your throat and into your stomach was velvety and smooth, like warm honey. Your toes and fingers tingled with electricity, and your breath got quicker. You felt like you just woke up from a restful nap. The power you felt was addictive._

_You turned your body and swung, your right fist hooked to your left. Your fist found purchase, a crack resounding from the firm hit. A rib, you hoped._

_A pained grunt sounded out, and while the assailant was doubled over you finished them off. In a flash you hit the body with your knee, threw another punch to their head with your left, and with a flick of your right wrist you sliced across their chest with your hidden blade. The cut earned you blood, and you made sure to not cut too close to the neck so they stayed alive._

_With your left boot you brought a hard kick to the brow, toppling their body into the side. And you kept kicking._

_With each kick of your foot, the assailant hissed. This only encouraged you to keep kicking until they made no more sound._

_After you felt satisfied, you wiped the drool from the corner of your mouth as you stared at your work in a hagged pant. The blood on their head mixed nicely with their wavy, bleached hair._

_You rolled your right wrist. No harm in giving the pretty boy a few more scars, right?_

_Before you could start, an unknown force cramped your arm down, and you snarled as you fought back._

_“Get away from my brother, you bitch.” A voice hissed out, and with turning your head you saw narrowed red eyes._

_In a swift motion you ran towards your captor, any force they tried to use to keep you back failing against your immense power. With your left hand you backhanded your captor before they could physically protect themself. With the right you ripped the pills from the interior of your turtleneck and crunched down on them._

_It was like lightning, first swirling in your brow then electrifying your entire body. The power you felt, the total_ _control_ _you felt over all your senses, it was completely_ _addictive._ _The sensory overload sickened you to your stomach, but in a good way. You were in between a plane of throwing up from the intensity and laughing maniacally from the success._

_Your captor went in for a reckless kick and a scream. You didn’t budge when they began laying hits on you. It was like you had gone numb in the best way possible._

_Your captor took a step back, now crying uncontrollably. Their body crumpled to the ground, vulnerable, hyperventilating about their brother or something._

_“Shut up already.”_

_Your right arm grabbed the neck of your captor, and you effortlessly lifted them up above you. Their hands came to pry their neck from your grasp, their nails scratching as they cried hysterically as they choked._

_Their cries were reduced to bubbling gurgles when you jerked your wrist, the hidden blade coming forth and cutting through the jugular. You dropped the body, allowing your captor to choke on their own blood for a while before picking their body with two hands and harshly hitting them against the wall. You continued this for a while, until you saw enough gore you were content with._

_You smiled at the sight of the destroyed face of your captor. You could certainly get used to this._

_‘This is so_ _good._ _With this much power, I can do_ _anything.’_

_You ran towards your original entrance, giving one last double foot stomp on the speedy assailant along the way out._

_The hallway leading from the laboratory was a long one with a corner at the end. When you came across the corner an arrow had lodged itself into your left shoulder, causing you to freeze in your tracks._

_You didn’t feel any pain, which angered_ _you. With a pissed off expression, you looked up and grabbed the next arrow that was coming towards your head. You gritted your teeth and began sprinting down the hallway._

_‘Whoever shot that, they better start praying.’_

_Down the hallway the archer’s arms peered over from a corner and fired three additional arrows, and before they could retain their cover, you shot out a dart yourself. In a quick reflex, the archer blocked the dart, but had failed to avoid your next projectile._

_The glass container shattered onto the ground, and the liquid splashed all over the archer. Their horrified shrieks rang sweetly in your ears. Gasps of air, high-pitched squealing, and gurgling came before a healthy_ _THUMP._ _With that, you stopped trudging so you could watch the body’s nervous system twitch at a distance._

_You grunted in amusement, the archer not protected by their safety corner, and when they met eyes with you, you drank in their glassy stare._

_Your body suddenly shuddered unnaturally. You threw your arm out and caught the projectile, and without looking you pitched it back to its owner. You heard a clean slice._

_And all was quiet._

_With a slow take to the opposite end of the hallway, there was Captain America, frozen in the form of throwing his shield. His head fell to the ground before his body._

_You got up on your feet, padding to the corpse of Captain America and taking the bloody head by the hair. You used your spit to remove some of the red that had splashed onto his pretty face. Grabbing your new trophy you continued towards your escape path in a hearty walk_

_Surprisingly the elevator worked, and within ten minutes, you were strolling out of the New Avengers Facility as if you finished grocery shopping. A very bloody and rewarding one at that._

_'I didn't see anyone else, isn't that strange? We would’ve had so much more fun if there were more.’_ _You thought as you walked across the employee's parking lot. In your arms you cradled the head of Captain America, some blood and gore getting on your uniform._

_Once you made it to the tree line, you went in the direction of your motorcycle before stopping._

_It was quiet, even more quiet than the silence that hung around you, but the soft humming was still audible. You strained your ears to listen, sensitive to any sort of noise to break the somber trance_

_You tried clearing your throat to speak out. No sound came out._

_Puzzled, you tried again. Nothing._

_You fell to your knees as your body seized up in a flash of lightning. Everything was tight and hot and itchy. You began hissing air through your teeth- you assumed you were, since you couldn’t hear it over the thick, buzzy humming getting louder and louder in your ears- and your arms shook to keep your body upright._

_As you stared at the dark ground, you felt blood seep from your nose. Tears steadily trailed down your cheeks before collecting and dripping in heavy droplets. Your brow and hairline became clammy, sweat forming on your scalp and the back of your neck. All of your bodily fluids mixed on the forest floor._

_Not able to hold your body anymore, you crumpled onto the ground, sticks and dirt mushing into your mouth. A headache was laughing in your head. Your limbs ached. A throbbing snake of pain was wrapped around your entire body- beating to the tempo of the hum._

_You yelled as loud as you could. You kept trying until your throat ran dry. There was nothing at all._

_Nothing to hear you._

_Nothing to help you._

_Mission Accomplished._


	5. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you wake up.

The soft aroma of scented candles warmed your consciousness together. Faint, flickering light bothered your eyelids open. Blurry, you couldn't make sense of your surroundings. You tried moving your head toward the light source, but a cramp in your neck stopped you immediately.

You were lying on a hard surface. You didn't dare to try to move anymore, scared to grant feeling into your limbs. A throbbing sensation came from your head.

You shifted your mouth around, getting annoyed by the crust that had formed on the corners. With some hard blinks, you took a deep breath and tried to move your arms while exhaling.

“Uh, nuh uh uh princess, you’re staying where you are.”

You winced in pain, the sound of someone talking racking your head. It was like an asshole took a megaphone and yelled right into your ears. Not the best thing to wake up to.

“Aw, sorry I ruined your beauty sleep. Princess feeling a little achy? I would too.”

With some personal research, you found your arms and legs to be bound to… whatever you were bound to. Probably a table from how firm it was.

The owner of the voice curved around, coming to your left side. You mentally cursed.

Your expression said your thoughts, because Tony Stark zipped up in a buggy tone, “Hey now, I'm not the worst thing you can wake up to. That trophy is reserved for that guy.” Tony Stark nodded his head towards someone you couldn’t see and crossed his arms.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Stark, not right now.”

Two different voices from behind your head. You hoped it was two different voices. Your brain was horribly fried.

“Yeah yeah, you're right, okay interrogation mode time- _who the fuck are you?_ ” Tony Stark asked with accusing eyes. You stared back with the same amount of energy- or at least you assumed. Without a doubt you looked clapped.

After a few heartbeats, someone spoke up. “Stark, maybe you should keep working on getting the power back up. Take Pietro with you in case anything gets hazy.” Tony Stark unraveled his arms and clapped his hands together, head down in agreement.

“Yeah yeah, power, we need to get that back. Would _love_ to get my security system up and running before more gangsters join the party. C’mon squirt, let's bounce.”

Whoever this “Pietro” was, they huffed and grumbled, “I'm not just some toy you can throw around, old man…

Another piped up meekly. “I’ll head to the lab. I think I’m better off over there. Have fun.” A group of footsteps signaled that the three were out of the room.

_‘Jesus, I wish I could go back to sleep. This time without some cold nightmare.’_

What the fuck was that mess anyway? How did you get in this predicament in the first place? Your head was swimming- not only from your growing headache, but from differentiating what was reality and what was still part of the dream world. Heck, what you were experiencing right now could be a dream.

You could only hope it was a dream.

Little Miss Toxin getting _caught_ , during a mission? During a contracted mission from a wealthy benefactor no less. You were already kissing your occupation goodbye. The worst thing was that you couldn’t remember how you got yourself strapped onto a table. Running around in your memories caused a wave of nausea to come over. You moved to think about other things.

You hoped that whatever past-you did to get you strapped to a table with a room of Avengers, it was badass.

Whilst in your whallows, a new interrogator entered your vision, and you couldn’t tell if this one was better than the last. 

Captain America was now standing to your right, head still attached to his neck. When you two met eyes he kept his lips in a thin, straight line.

You felt like you wanted to perish on the spot.

_‘If anything, my subconscious must be on point, because he still looks good for hitting a century.’_

Captain America looked up to someone who wasn’t in your line of sight, his eyes lingering for a second. It was like they were having a silent conversation with you in the middle, and you felt equally offended as if it was verbal. 

With how your arms and legs were tied to the table, you felt like you were in a public surgery, or some kind of cultist ritual with the ominous lighting. If the situation was different you would have been blushing with the attractive Avenger looking down your tied up body.

“She’s… confused and scared… scared that her boss will be angry?” 

This voice didn’t sound as irritating as Tony Stark’s. Probably because it was close to whispering. Maybe if your brain wasn’t made of grits you would be able to place the person’s accent. It was soothing to your suffering ears.

Captain America glanced back to you. You resisted the urge to look away; you didn’t like how your face was out in the open, especially in front of the people who would definitely compromise your Little Miss Toxin persona.

“Who’s your boss?”

Man, your headache was just having a field day with the amount of things provoking it. You wiggled your fingers and toes, partially for a check-up, partially to get your mind off the pain. They thankfully responded normally, but you didn’t know if you could say the same about the rest of your body.

“Insubordination isn't going to get you anywhere, so if I were you I would start talking now before any other consequences arise.”

Your forearms were free of your dart gun and hidden blade, and your boots were off your feet. Wiped clean of your hidden cosmetics, you noted, explaining why you felt so comfortable lying down.

“Not going to talk?” 

This would be the perfect time to pop your gum; if you had any you would’ve done it out of spite.

Captain America sighed through his nose. The sweet voice behind your head spoke up again.

“She goes by… Little Miss Toxin? And she was paid to come here and take pictures. A lot of money was offered.”

You kept staring back at Captain America, fighting off a yawn. Now with more senses thawing out of the haze of waking up, you felt the clutches of sleep grasping for your consciousness. 

And the soreness. 

By hell, the soreness was unbearable. It was mainly throbbing in your head and your left shoulder, but it felt like every muscle that could get sore was sore.

“Little Miss Toxin? I've never heard of that name in any SHIELD file.” A new voice, further back in the room, spoke up. Their voice was low in dynamic with the hint of gravel. They were at the edge of the room, you guessed. A shift in their posture. You felt eyes.

It was time you cleared your throat. “Well, that's because I've been doing a good job of hiding it from people like you.”

Captain America lifted his eyebrows, unamused. “So she speaks.”

“And she is getting an itch on her back so she would like the restraints to be removed.”

The gravelly voice in the back of the room scoffed under their breath but you caught it. 

Captain America’s expression didn’t change. “Do you think-”

“Oh no no no, go ahead Cap. If she tries to escape I'll like to see you knock your shield against her head again,” said the person further back.

“She’s also injured and some of us would be mad with blood on the holo-tables.” 

“So that's how I got knocked out,” you confirmed in a softer tone. Captain pressed his lips together. You chuckled lightly, testing out the weight in your torso. They also put restraints around your lower ribcage, which completely prevented you from sitting up comfortably. Also it hurt like hell when you moved your abdominals.

You shifted on the table the best you could, stretching out what you could of your legs. You were able to lift your knees up by half an inch, which was more than enough for you when you felt your thighs cry out in pain.

“Do you mean you don’t remember anything prior to waking up?” Captain America questioned. You bit your tongue, before deciding to humor him.

“Besides beating up four of your friends, nothing much.”

A sharp pang resonated in your left shoulder. In your dream, you did get shot by an arrow...

Your breath got lighter, head spinning. 

“I know I’m a criminal and all, but am I allowed to get some medical attention? This shoulder is killing me.” 

Captain America looked up to behind you, still unamused. Another silent conversation with you in the middle.

Something must have changed Captain America’s mind, because his eyes softened. Softly, you heard the sound of an elastic band being strained. After what you assumed was a heated debate via eyes, Captain America started taking off the restraints, starting around your left arm.

“Out of all of the injuries you have, the shoulder is hurting you the most?” The gravelly voice called out. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“I’m hella sore, does that count for anything?” Did you have more injuries? You were going to feel them soon enough.

Once your upper torso was free- what they snuggled you in was some kind of cable wire, wrapped around the entire table- you carefully bent your elbows. Your entire left arm was on fire, but your right side seemed fine enough.

Finally, Captain America removed all of your restraints. You slowly lifted yourself from the table, using your arms to prop you up- and immediately wincing when you put weight on your left hand. Everything that had to do with your left arm was hell. There was a crusty feeling on the inside of your robes, rubbing against the skin of your neck. You couldn’t tell if it was fresh blood or scabby skin.

You slouched when you sat up on the table. Looking around, you took in your surroundings, only to freeze in shock. You were in the same room you had activated the EMP bomb in, just the same as in your dream.

_‘Was that... really a dream? A vision? I don’t know anymore.’_

You were previously lying on the holo-table that was in the middle of the room, the same where Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were going to review a project before you activated the EMP bomb. The bomb from your contractor was apparently strong, since all of the power in the room was still out- much longer than the advertised five minutes you assumed.

There were no windows to bring in light, as you were a floor or two underground. Masses of candles were lit around the room. Noticing the amount of melted wax on a candle nearest to your table, you investigated that you were out for a few hours.

“No funny business, alright?” Captain America called out. You sighed heavily and stared at your hands.

This was going to be a hell of a story to tell Wade.


	6. The HIVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you're not the only one.

You rubbed your wrists, a bit sore and awkward from the absence of your vambraces. There was an instinct to grab your hood and pull it over your head, but you shook it off. There was no point in trying to hide your identity now. Little Miss Toxin was a secret no more.

The candles outlining the room were nice. Real old school. The mixture of cinnamon, vanilla, and tropical fruit were faint. It was calming, almost, if only there wasn’t a narrow-eyed brunette who was currently aiming an arrow at your head from behind you. 

The perpetrator of your supposed shoulder wound, you assumed. You only met eyes with him before narrowing yours back and looking away.

Captain America grabbed a metal box from a shelf behind him and tossed it to your right unceremoniously. The sudden clanging was uncomfortable to your ears, but you dipped your head in thanks. Ouch to the neck. 

He didn’t say anything, just regained his authoritative position with buff, crossed arms.

“Is that guy behind me really necessary?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well you can never be too sure. You did break into high security private property, which isn’t taken lightly around here.” The archer countered. Captain America sighed and put a hand up, signalling the archer to stop pointing an arrow to your back.

“I think we’re good, Barton, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

“She’s experienced a lot of head trauma,” the soft voice spoke up. The owner was standing by your head when you were lying down, now she was standing on your oblique left. “She wouldn’t run far.” 

Her alluring dark brown eyes and wavy, brown hair came to your side. You weren’t too sure on her civilian name, only the moniker “Scarlet Witch” she was more known for.

_‘Yeah, it’s not like I’m a trained spy or anything. It’s not like I could probably take them down in a fight- I did it in my dream. Even though I killed them a little._ _But still possible if I had the power.’_

You bit the inside of your mouth.You felt belittled by Scarlet Witch’s comment, but her soft, compassionate expression when she looked to you fuzzed down any anger.

Also, she was partially right; your head was still swimming in circles and you didn’t know if you could stand up without falling over. There was a faint burning sensation coming from the crown of your head and you knew once you touched it, you would really feel the pain.

You pressed your lips and retorted softly, “No point in running now anyways.” You then turned and began going through the medkit, pulling a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some cotton pads.

“I remember getting hit in the head, and a… a vision of… something bad. It seemed real, but I assume that it wasn’t. Would that be your doing?” You asked the psychic next to you. With thin lips she turned away quickly, and you got your answer.

“I made you see your biggest fear. But your fear is… interesting.” She explained slowly. It was almost as if she didn't want to discuss her powers any further.

You didn’t respond, opting to pull off the damaged fur spaulder. The clothed leather under had a jagged rip, which made you internally groan as you thought about the repairing process. 

“You are scared of killing and yet you are a mercenary?” 

Scarlet Witch’s question floated into the air. You undid the first top clasps of your robes before carefully pulling your left arm out with pain.

“Correction, I am a paid spy. I don’t kill. I protect myself when compromised.” 

In your turtleneck, you ripped the hole that the projectile made so you could access it without taking your shirt off. A scratchy feeling on your neck caused you to investigate. 

Your stomach dropped.

The plastic packet hidden in your collar was broken. 

Shit.

No wonder you felt horrible. You were surprised that you were still alive.

_‘But that doesn’t answer at what point I got knocked out…’_

A disgusting wound on your shoulder had filmed over with slimy blood, the muscle pink and irritated. The cool air caressing the wound brought needles of pain as you flexed.

_‘All the pain feels like it’s emplified- probably because of my dumb decision of taking the pills_ and _the adrenaline tonic.’_

As you prepped the dressing for your wound, Captain America inquired, “For living through your greatest fear, you’re taking it really well.”

You failed repressing a hiss of pain from the hydrogen peroxide on your wound before responding curtly, “As a spy, I am skilled at hiding.” Your browline began to spin even more, and just when your headache was ebbing! You did your best to stay strong on the outside, harshly blinking the pain away.

Before Captain America could respond, another person walked into the room through the glass doors. Through the dim light, you saw that he wore a blue, plaid button up and frameless glasses. His curly black hair poofed against the candles behind him. Sweet-looking guy.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting anything…” He trailed off once he saw you sitting up on the table, no restraints and a few bloody cotton pads by your side. Quick hands pocketed a small, black device which you recognized to be your EMP bomb. Panic flashed in his eyes.

“Not at all.” You cooly replied. The new man, who you recognized to be Dr. Bruce Banner, cautiously stood next to Captain America, his eyes darting occasionally from your form.

“C-cap shouldn’t we-”

“If you really want me to be restrained it’ll happen after I bandage my shoulder.” You called out with dead eyes. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.” A wink caused the doctor to glance away, shyer now.

“You don’t bite but you can pack a punch.” Captain America retorted.

Dr. Banner pulled out the EMP bomb from his pocket and held it out in front of you. “Can you explain this?”

“That's an EMP bomb.”

“This device is highly powerful, not nuclear-grade but close to what they use in the military. How did you get your hands on this?”

You strained to keep a clean cotton pad on your arm as you wrapped some medical tape to hold it in place. You tensed back a jump when a red aura formed around the cotton pad, and you dropped your hand quickly out of reflex. That aura… from your nightmare…

You looked up to meet Scarlet Witch’s eyes, who was still standing off to the side. Hers were glowing red- just as alluring as in your dream. You quickly directed your attention to ripping the medical tape off. The silence in the room held a few seconds too long. 

“Did you make the bomb?” Captain America finally spoke up.

“It was supplied by the contractor.” Captain America turned to Scarlet Witch, probably seeking for confirmation. You caught her nodding in your peripherals.

Great, now they got a psychic lie detector on you.

“Who’s your contractor? Who paid you to come here?” Dr. Banner questioned, eyebrows furrowed. You sighed heavily.

“I don't know, I just got the file with information. They never left a call card.” Another nod, this time trying to be subtle.

“When will you see the contractor to give the camera?” 

_‘Ah fuck, they probably took the camera. Broken by now, no doubt.’_ You clenched your teeth in frustration. _‘If I get out of here, there’s no point if I don’t have any evidence to come back with.’_

_‘Wait… Camera…’_

Oh no.

At the mention of the camera, your brain shuddered to a starking realization. You felt the breath in your chest deflate, and a rising sense of panic filled your shoulders. The more you thought about it, the more strange the situation became.

If you were supplied with a falsely advertised “little” EMP bomb, then why would your contractor give you a cheap-ass camera? Why didn’t they bother to give you more security if they were going to have that much money on the line?

You bit your tongue but kept your complexion cool.

Dr. Banner spoke up after you kept quiet, breaking your thoughts. “There has to be an exchange of information at some point. I don’t suppose you don’t send it through USPS.”

“Carrier pigeon actually.” You responded dryly. You let that sink in as you finished wrapping the bandage. 

“No, they send an address when they feel like it. They know if the mission was completed on time, however.”

“And if you didn’t complete the mission on time…?” Dr. Banner trailed off. You glanced back at Dr. Banner with a raised eyebrow.

“Has never happened before. Wouldn’t know the consequences personally.” You buckled your robes back up.

You took in your surroundings more extensively when another question wasn’t asked in succession. Barton was still to the end of the room, watching your every move. His hand was suspiciously hovering around the area where a weapon would be hidden on his body. The automatic doors where you originally came from were left ajar, probably due to the power being out. You were happy to see that the rubber duck desk had a rubber duck candle lit up.

“Okay well, where did you get the materials for your darts from? Compounds that strong can only be received through prescription of a medical professional.” Dr. Banner spoke up.

“You just explained how I recieved them.” You answered, expression not wavering. Captain America took a step forward.

“Is there a reason why you’re so calm right now? For being a caught spy, you’re acting like it’s nothing.”

“Because she’s quit a long time ago.” Scarlet Witch answered for you, in a quiet yet barely audible voice. You looked hard into Captain America’s blue-green eyes.

“A mission failure like this isn't something I want on my resume. I’m dead either way, whether you let me go or keep me in custody.”

With that, the lights in the room flashed back on, everything rebooting. The table you were on brought the holograms back and you moved to hop off, only for your knees to buckle. Captain America was the fastest to bring his arms out and catch you. You didn’t think too hard on why he did so- it would have been very easy to let you fall to the ground. You grabbed his forearms in a panic.

It was like your brain just experienced a tsunami; your head was _spinning_. You tried your best to regulate yourself, but your legs were not obeying. It was sore city down in the thighs and calves. With clenched teeth, you grabbed the edge of the table with your good arm, and Captain America’s arms fell away quickly once you made an effort to steady yourself.

You felt your face burn as you attempted to regain your poker façade. You went for a long time before you embarrassed yourself.

“Way to go, Stark.” Barton said, looking around the room. Your arm was already cramping up something hellish, and your legs started to shake. From the corner of your eye you caught Captain America dart his eyes if he had to catch you again. You did your best to stand up straighter, mentally forcing the leg tremors to cease.

An automated voice rang out in the room a couple seconds after the lights came on. “Master Stark would like me to relay to everyone else that there has been a separate break-in at the North entrance, and that he would like some help.” 

Your eyes lit up in interest. Another break-in? A gang probably caught smell of the New Avengers Facility shutting down and decided to jump into the party. Though, you were careful to keep your expression neutral about the development. You felt the tension in the entire room rise, all directed towards you.

Barton huffed in amusement. “Some help? That's a first from him.”

“My words, not his, Mr. Barton. I’m afraid his words were too unprofessional to relay.”

“What are we seeing, FRIDAY?” Captain America called out. FRIDAY brought up a screen on the holo-table you were just restrained to.

“What the fuck?”

FRIDAY showed live footage from several cameras, one of them being the room where Mr. Billionaire himself was battling it out with several masked individuals. Several other screens showed more masked gangsters on the roof, running across the field, and by a large truck on the road. All of their faces were shrouded with ominous, white masks, each with a different simplistic facial expression. There had to be about thirty people running around the grounds from what FRIDAY was showing.

What really caught your attention were their jackets- you swore you saw something on the back, if only one of them turned around without being covered you could maybe recognize who they were...

“How many people are in this building?” You asked Captain America. He didn’t answer before Barton came up closer to the holo-table and spoke up.

“Wait a minute, that insignia on one of the jackets-” FRIDAY paused one of the feeds and zoomed into one individual who had their back turned. “That looks familiar-”

Your stomach dropped.

“The HIVE,” you answered gravelly, eyes never leaving the wasp-like insignia. “Oh _hell_ , what do they want here?”

“You work with them?” Captain America asked. You didn’t try holding back your scrunched face of disgust as you shook your head.

“They’re a gang specializing in ‘organized crime,’ as they put it. All they bring is trouble, no matter who’s side they’re on.” You looked to Captain America, your cloudy gray eyes burning. “You need to get everyone in this building away from them, _now_ , and let me handle this.” 

“Like we’re going to trust you. For all we know you could be a part of this.” Barton spoke up, his tone icy cold. You stayed cool, despite the voice inside you barking and growling like a rabid dog.

“My position is no better than yours. The HIVE would not hesitate to dispose of any force that gets in their way, friend or foe.” You narrowed your eyes. “They’re an organization that doesn’t need any more power than they already have."

“They have tried to break into the Storage Units by Lots C and D, and are currently working on Unit A-17.” FRIDAY announced, fullscreening a camera showing a group of HIVE members placing what looked like explosives around a vault. 

Apparently, Unit A-17 must’ve meant something special, because you saw Captain America immediately tense up. Dr. Banner’s eyes widened, quietly muttering something you didn't catch. You felt a little bug of curiosity rise up.

“What is their motive?” Captain America directed towards you. You noted that his tone was a little lighter, as if he’s asking an equal and not a distrusted criminal. It could just be your imagination, though.

“What, is there something particularly bad in there? If it’s nothing that could, oh I don’t know, potentially bring harm and wreak havoc to humanity again, then it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” You answered cheekily.

The Avengers in the room remained silent, notably Dr. Banner and Captain America shared a look.

Oh, if you were surely alive after everything went down, then this could be something for your contractor.

“And if there was?” Dr. Banner brought up. “-Hypothetically speaking.”

“Then, hypothetically speaking, the HIVE shouldn’t get anywhere near that vault.”

“Do you know how to fight them? Counter their strengths?” You licked your lips before carefully answering Captain America.

“Their leader, Waspclap, is a mutant with a brainwashing power. Those under his control are enhanced with alarming levels of strength, and they don’t stop for a broken bone, unless Waspclap commands them to.” 

The robotic movements of the gang members on the screens sent a disgusting feeling blooming in your stomach. They looked so _unnatural;_ even through the screen you could make out the abnormal way their bodies moved in tandem.

“Waspclap’s methods are the complete opposite of ethical. He’s chaotic. Uncontrollable.” Scarlet Witch was staring at you as you spoke, an unreadable expression on her face.

“Well, how does he get people under his control?” Captain America asked.

You paused for a heartbeat. “If he manages to get a hit on you.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Barton called out, already pulling out his compact bow. “FRIDAY, notify the employees about the intrusion, and direct them to the safehouse. Get the rest of the team on the scene.”

“Already done, Mr. Barton.”

Captain America turned his back to you, seeming in thought. You shifted your feet, and your hands got antsy as everyone in the room began to slowly move around, making preparations for the future battle.

There was _no_ reason why you shouldn’t take the scissors in the medical kit and jab them into the unsuspecting Captain right now. Granted, it probably wouldn’t do too much damage on the super-soldier, but it would give you the perfect distraction to attempt some sort of getaway.

You had thought of a rough escape plan right when FRIDAY announced the break-in to the room. And with such a threat as _the_ _HIVE_ , your captors would have to sacrifice holding a little prisoner such as you to get rid of the larger problem, right?

Surprising _the_ Captain America from behind with scissors would be a dumb move; he would probably sense you before you could get a snip at him. What he might _not_ sense would be the hydrogen peroxide to his eyes, and your fast reflexes would assure getting the nearby Scarlet Witch as well. That would leave you with Barton, and you were sure you could at least throw the scissors at him before making a break for it.

Being kept alive for this long meant that they didn’t intend to kill you, and after providing minimal information on their biggest threat, the archer wouldn’t harm you enough to be completely incapacitated. And that meant you would still be able to move.

Although not being the fastest of sprinters, you deduced that you could probably outrun Dr. Banner enough to slip away until his green friend came for a visit.

It was almost too perfect of a situation. If the HIVE had never come, you didn’t think you would have this kind of hope being held captive by the Avengers.

And yet, you found yourself faltering.

You swallowed as you glanced back at the other camera angles FRIDAY still had out. There were too many grunts to count now; there were new angles showing where new swarms of grunts popped up around the property.

The mix of their white masks and janky movements set you on edge. There were times when they all moved at the same time, in unison as one organism. Other times it was set to a haunting stagger. But they never strayed from their destined tasks at hand. Like lambs to the slaughter.

You forced yourself to look away and back to the few Avengers in the room. Your eyes immediately landed on Barton’s bow.

There were good people in those masks, you knew there were. Good people who were innocent and didn’t need to get in the middle of a gang war- they were simply pulled in against their own accord.

_“The world’s cruel, (Name). It’s cruel and it doesn’t care about the little guys. We are disposable. We have to make a hard effort to reach equal footing with the big dogs.”_

_‘That’s right… I’m disposable.’_

_“Morality gets in the way of success. It’s morbid but it’s true, and I’ve just come to accept that faster than others. And it’s by time, you do too, (Name).”_

You curled your toes. And after a few heartbeats, you spat the words from the tip of your tongue and blurted out to the rest of the room.

“I need to go out there. I can talk to Waspclap. He’ll listen to me.”

Captain America turned around, as did the other four Avengers.

“Well how do you know that?” Barton questioned. His hard tone set you off again, but this time, courage fueled by adrenaline propelled you forward.

“He’ll recognize me. I worked with him before- only for the money, I promise.” You quickly added when the room got cold for a second.

Barton scoffed, something along the lines of taking promises from suspicious intruders about other suspicious intruders.

“And if he doesn’t listen?” Captain America questioned. His gaze was _intense_ , at least more intense as you were expecting. You were caught off guard for a second, quickly licking your lips again.

“Then he’ll have to listen to the Avengers as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the following photo is how i perceive little miss toxin's robes! also i write her to have white hair (in whatever style your hair is) and cloudy gray eyes :)
> 
> link: https://www.deviantart.com/its-raining-neon/art/Assassins-Creed-Revelations-Genderbent-Ezio-542496823
> 
> photo credits to Its-Raining-Neon on deviantart! love me some revelations ezio <3


	7. The Archer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clint doesn't trust you.

Clint was a hard person to surprise.

The attribute came with his profession. His years of experience as an agent for SHIELD had conditioned him to always be aware of his surroundings, to always _listen_. It was a behavior that was trained into him, and one that he groomed to remain second nature.

Now imagine his surprise when this infiltrator- “paid mercenary” according to the younger Maximoff- who he considered small in stature had _ripped off_ the mind-warping arrow like it was a bandaid.

Clint kept a straight face as he watched the paid mercenary talk with Banner, who was firing question after question over the contraband weapons the mercenary held on her person. She looked boredly indifferent while giving the answers, but she answered with satisfactory information going by Banner’s facial expressions.

Little Miss Toxin- cute name, he would give the merc that- was a bit of an anomaly. Firstly, the databases didn't have any information on her that they could pull up, which was alarmingly out of place. Secondly, why she _wasn’t_ behind bars or locked in one of the Avengers containing units as if she hadn’t broken onto multi-million dollar, high-tech private property, Barton didn’t know.

Though, what was _really_ setting him off was that they were _allowing_ her to help with this sudden invasion of a third party, as if that wasn’t as suspicious as the mercenary they currently had in possession.

And with the HIVE, no less. He was familiar with the gang and their tactics. Back in the days of SHIELD, it was a name many agents knew. Most of the interactions he had with the gang had to do with extracting contraband information, the type that no civilian or underground organization should have in the first place. They were a nuisance to deal with, he remembered. Always coming back in stronger numbers whenever he thought the fight was over. Like bees in a swarm, he noted with amusement.

Clint’s eyes were stoic as he watched the mercenary interact with the doctor. Everything about this situation seemed very fishy indeed. He almost wanted to yell at Steve for his call on the intruder, allowing her to help them fight off the invasive gang members. She even _admitted_ that she worked with the gang in the past (no doubt coded as “I own one of those masks at home as well and wear it on the weekends”), weren’t there any red flags going off in the super-solider’s head?

It didn’t matter that Wanda was the first to trust her, the timing of the mercenary’s appearance was still dubious. Even if the mercenary agreed to work against the HIVE, what would happen if their leader were to think it would be great to have an old ally again? Now _that_ wouldn’t look too good on the Avengers’ track record. As if they needed more dirt in the first place.

Everything about this Little Miss Toxin screamed bad news to Clint.

“I’m starting to wonder if your face is naturally made to look like that.” 

Wanda had a small, playful smile as she joined the archer.

“Like what?”

“Worried.”

“What, you don’t like the grimace? Most chicks think it’s hot,” Clint jested. Wanda simply turned her attention back to the three who were in the middle of the room.

The few heartbeats of silence the two shared wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Normally, Clint would gain the urge to break the silence with a joke, anything to keep the energy going, but that wasn’t the case when he was with Wanda. Ever since finding her and her brother back in Slovakia and the Ultron shindig, the archer and the psychic had gotten a nice dynamic going. Something about near-death experiences really bring people together.

“She’s not bad, Barton.”

“I mean, she did throw you against a wall and knocked your brother out. But I’m not judging your moral compass.”

Wanda turned her head so that she could give a light glare. “Remind me which one is the psychic, hm?”

Another voice interrupted the conversation. “That doesn’t mean that someone’s morals can’t change after having a catch-up meeting with their previous boss.”

Clint smiled impishly to Steve. “Not-it on the baby-sitting duty. I already took the last one.” Another glare from Wanda, this one with more weight.

Steve put his hands in his pocket as the trio watched Bruce carefully inspect how the mercenary donned each cosmetic onto her body, the latter explaining something about her different poisons. The mercenary had pulled the hood back on, so the only indication of the mercenary talking was the occasional nod or comment made by the doctor.

“Steve.” 

Said super-soldier looked to Wanda. 

“Don’t let your instincts guide you with her. Trust the mercenary, she means well.” Before he could get a word in, the psychic continued. “She is an innocent person who has been-”

“Hanging around the wrong crowd?” Steve suggested. “Yeah, heard that one before.”

“But not all villains stay villains when shown a little mercy.” Wanda winked at the soldier. Steve didn’t change his expression, but only crossed his arms in thought. In that moment, Steve had met eyes with the mercenary, who had finished clipping on her weapons after careful watch of the doctor, and was now joining the rest of the Avengers.

“Sooo this is the part where we divide and conquer, correct?” You had a new skip in your step, and Clint couldn't help to feel a bout of unease at the fact that you had your weapons back. The image of you ripping the arrow off your head flashed in his mind.

Whatever tricks you had up your sleeve, it was enough to counter him, at least in that moment. He would have to keep a careful eye on you.

“Barton, Wanda, you two stay on this floor and secure the offices. Don't know when these guys will decide to infiltrate the databases.” Steve ordered with authority in his voice. Despite that, you scoffed and crossed your arms.

“Don't sweat it. I doubt the HIVE would like anything less than flashy. They like to steal things they can show off.” Steve ignored the comment made by you and continued.

Clint felt off by the mercenary’s words. His suspicion rose even higher. Not having the girl in his sight worried him, she could break away and attack when he would least expect it.

“I’ll take Missy here and Bruce, and we’ll go outside and get to that Waspclap guy.”

“Uh, with me going out does that mean I’ll have to, you know…” Dr. Banner spoke up.

Clint raised an eyebrow. “What, not in a fighting mood, doc?”

“No no no, it’s not that, it’s just…” Dr. Banner turned to you.

“You mentioned that their leader, Waspclap, gains control of his victims after physical touch, yes?” You nodded.

“Well I was just thinking, with my- the Hulk’s, uh, combat strategies, I don’t think it would be in the best interest for anyone that he becomes a possible target.”

“I can go up there. I’m more suited to go against this Waspclap guy.” Clint spoke up before anyone else could. Captain America nodded towards the archer. Clint felt a little smug flame light up at your sudden, stiff shoulders.

“Then it’s best that I join them, Captain, and you stay down here with Dr. Banner.” Wanda stood next to you, and crossed her arms as she discreetly nodded her head towards you.

Captain America looked between you and Wanda before nodding, “Sounds good. Stay active in the comms.” The unspoken second point the Captain left out was felt in the air.

_And keep an eye on the mercenary._

Clint looked towards you and Wanda before motioning towards the slightly ajar entrance. “Shall we, ladies?” You only spared a short glance towards the archer before following Wanda out.

Clint narrowed his eyes to your form as you walked in front of him.

“Hey.”

Clint turned back to Steve.

“Have fun with babysitting duty again.”

Clint huffed in amusement and shook his head as he made his way out of the laboratory.

“Yeah, well have fun Hulk sitting.”

Clint didn’t stay to hear the doctor’s retort.

**Author's Note:**

> my name is soup and i have some things to say:
> 
> \- this is a revamped version of my older story “Poison Bite” i posted on quotev super long ago
> 
> \- will deviate from mcu canon w/some changes for the sake of the story
> 
> \- main love interests are on the core avengers team (plus vision, maximoff twins, and sam wilson)
> 
> \- side love interests will include stephen strange, t’challa, scott lang, bucky barnes, carol danvers, valkyrie, and loki
> 
> \- as of 2018 in the mcu everyone is like 50 so let's pretend everyone is in their early 30s or so (except for the folks who dont really have a normal age, ex. vision, thor, cap, etc)
> 
> \- as of july 2020 i have rewritten what was rewritten to make it better lmao
> 
> originally posted on quotev under the same username!! this is the first time ive posted on ao3 (or used it extensively) so please have mercy uwu 


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